A new report suggests that the Portland Trail Blazers have no intention of making a Damian Lillard trade easy for the Miami Heat and seem to actively be making it as difficult as possible.
The Portland Trail Blazers are just a few weeks away from the start of the 2023-2024 NBA training camp but they aren’t sure what their roster for the new season will look like. In June, despite a bunch of speculation, the organization used the third pick in the NBA Draft to take highly-touted G League product Scoot Henderson. The decision set off a change of events that included team legend Damian Lillard asking to be traded from the only team he has ever played for.
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However, like many superstars who look to exit a city he had specific guidelines for any trade. Those being that the Miami Heat was the only team he was interested in being shipped to.
That of course has severely hampered the Trail Blazers’ options since they want to get the best return possible, and the Heat are not overrun with outstanding trade chips they are willing to part with. It has meant a summer filled with reports and speculation on when or if a deal will get done. Well, a new report paints another grim picture of discussions.
Miami Heat haven’t gotten closer to Portland Trail Blazers’ Lillard asking price since June
On a Monday edition of ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst’s “Hoop Collective,” he revealed some disappointing news on the current state of talks between Portland and Miami.
“What the Blazers want, if they’re dealing with one team, if it is Miami or nothing, they want what the Nets got from the Suns [for Kevin Durant], which is the Suns literally scrounging for everything. And I understand a year ago the Nets weren’t getting that from the Suns,” Windhorst said.
“But the concept is, that they want the Heat to literally scrounge into every nook and cranny and produce everything they possibly can. And the Heat don’t feel a need to do that and they haven’t since June.”
The NBA insider also mentioned that it took a change in ownership for the Suns to adjust their approach in what they were willing to give up for Kevin Durant. However, a major shift in the front office and ownership of the Miami Heat is not expected any time soon.